The Top 10 Places to Buy a Home

When you go to buy a house, a market with cheap prices is not the only factor you should consider. Rather, look for communities with a strong job market and stable housing values. Some common threads: cities with military bases, state capitals and college towns all fare well because they are more "recession proof," according to Zillow, an online real estate company. A strong tourism industry helps, too.

Virginia Beach, Va.

Median home value: $223,800, down 1 percent from a year ago. Property values are up 7 percent compared with five years ago. Houses cost an average of $139 per square foot. Buyers are paying 2 percent less than the listing price.

Albany, N.Y.

Median Home Value: $190,700, down 3 percent from a year ago. Property values are up 4.4 percent compared with five years ago. Houses cost an average of $123 dollars per square foot. Buyers are paying 3 percent less than listing price.

San Diego, Calif.

Median Home Value: $346,000, down 14 percent from a year ago but with shrinking declines. Thirty-six percent of homes on the market are foreclosure resales. Forty percent of homes are being sold for less than the owners paid for them. Eighty-nine percent of home values are decreasing, but the declines are slowing and the bottom is in sight. Houses cost an average of $219 per square foot.

Austin, Texas

Median Home Value: $172,800, down 12 percent from a year ago. Property values are up 3 percent compared with five years ago. Buyers are paying 9 percent less than listing price. Houses cost an average of $98 per square foot.

Madison, Wis.

Median Home Value: $207,600, down 4 percent from a year ago. Property values are flat compared with five years ago. Houses cost an average of $113 per square foot. Buyers are paying 3 percent less than listing price.

Greenville, S.C.

Median Home Value: $132,000, down 1 percent from a year ago. Property values are up 3 percent compared with five years ago. Houses cost an average of $83 per square foot. Buyers are paying 4 percent less than listing price.

Gainesville, Fla.

Median Home Value: $ 157,800, down 11 percent from a year ago. Property values are up 3.2 percent compared with five years ago. Buyers are paying 5 percent less than listing price. Houses cost an average of $106 per square foot.

Knoxville, Tenn.

Median Home Value: $ 141,900, down 2 percent from a year ago. Property values are up 5.1 percent compared with five years ago. Houses cost an average of $89 per square foot. Buyers are paying 4 percent less than listing price.

Richmond, Va.

Median Home Value: $ 207,000, down 7 percent from a year ago. Property values are up 5 percent compared with five years ago. Houses cost an average of $119 per square foot. Buyers are paying 3 percent less than listing price.

Flagstaff, Ariz.

Median Home Value: $274,000, down 14 percent from a year ago. Property values are up 4 percent compared with five years ago. Buyers are paying 8 percent less than listing price. Houses cost an average of $164 per square foot.